


Not Naming It

by parasox



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-12 04:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13539477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parasox/pseuds/parasox
Summary: Noctis finally has Prompto over to his apartment. Prompto gets to stay the entire spring recess from school. Can Noct keep the real reasons he wanted him to stay over from Prompto?Just some story without a true plot, some fluff of boys being boys, the strength of friendship, and teen-aged rebellion. Enjoy.





	1. My Majesty

"Prince Noctis, if you could please control your enthusiasm," the straight-laced Mr. Ainsworth implored, "Both you and the rest of the class belong to me for the next half hour, still." 

Half-lidded eyes turned from the window that gave a much more excited view than the history timeline being created on the blackboard. "Hmm?" he sounded as a collective giggle rose from the classroom. His fingers ceased the clicking of the ballpoint pen out of pure confusion. Crap. Why're they looking at me? Noctis' eyes shot around quickly, trying to determine what he was the target of Ainsworth's ire for. 

"Dude," Prompto laughed beside him. His friend pointed at his pen, which elicited a look of confusion from Noct. 

Mr. Ainsworth cleared his throat. "Class." He pushed his spectacles up onto his nose as they settled. "Now that the pen clicking concerto is over, let us return to the War of..." 

Noctis looked at his pen, suddenly realizing what he'd been doing. "Sorry," he muttered. He hadn't meant to disturb class, after all, but what lame-brained teacher really thought they were going to get away with a full hour's lecture in the last class of the last day before the weeklong Spring Recess? He looked around at the rest of his classmates, who had put their pens back to paper and begun to write. Usually, Noct pretended to be a model student, but his mind was more elsewhere than it had ever been before a school recess. He put his pen down atop the notebook that only had the day's date scrawled on it. 

Rapid movement caught his eye. Noct looked slowly toward Prompto, who'd been wiggling his fingers to get his friend's attention. He raised his eyebrows to him. 

Prompto lifted his notebook to show him that other than the huge note he'd just scrawled, his notebook was empty, too. "30. MORE. MINUTES. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The exclamation marks filled in every and each blank space the paper had left. 

Noct snorted, amazed at how quickly Prompto had sketched such a silly thing, then let his jaw go slack as he pretended to scream in excitement. 

"Prince Noctis!" Mr. Ainsworth snapped. 

Noct rose his hand quickly, using the backside of it to stifle the yawn that he'd turned the fake scream into. "I'm very sorry, sir. I didn't sleep well last night. I mean no disrespect." He'd learned quickly which adults in his life were worth sassing and which deserved respect. The ones here in the school who could assign him detention and clean up duties were not the ones he liked to get smart with. No matter how much Ainsworth was trying his patience, Noct would apologize over and over. Besides, he really hadn't slept well the night before. That, however, was another story that Ainsworth didn't need to hear. 

"One more time and I'll make sure your recess starts three hours later than everyone else's." A wrinkled, spindly finger was shaken at him. 

Noct lowered his head in submission. Try it and I'll have Ignis come up with some lame excuse to get me out of it, too, he thought. He glanced to Prompto, who was no longer looking at him, no longer holding up a notebook showing his excitement, and no longer looking quite as happy had he had a moment ago. Yeah, payback’s coming, buddy. Just 25 more minutes now. Hang in there.

He picked up his pen and wiggled it rapidly but silently between his fingers. 

0~*~0

“So like, who do I bow to?” Prompto asked, slinging his arm around Noct’s neck. “Don’t laugh at me. I seriously don’t know.” 

Noct halted his gait and ducked his head, getting out of the headlock Prompto was trying to put him in. “Bow to?” he laughed. “What’re you going on about?” He blocked with his forearm as Prompto tried to catch him again with his arm. “Cut it out!” 

Prompto stopped walking as well and sniffed, one of his legs vibrating with what Noct could only imagine was nervous energy. “Like up there. That’s your driver, right? Do I need to bow to him or tip him or…” 

Noct groaned and elbowed Prompto in the ribcage. “Where do I even start with how wrong you are…” 

“Dude! I’m being serious!” Prompto’s hand closed on Noct’s wrist, holding it tightly. “Seriously.” 

There was a seriousness in Prompto’s eyes that gave Noct pause for further teasing. Sometimes it was just so easy to forget that Prompto hadn’t been his friend for his entire life and that Prompto wouldn’t automatically know the laws of decorum and rules of etiquette. It wasn’t like Prompto could follow his lead, either, since Prompto wasn’t the crown prince. “This is weird,” he admitted with a sigh, looking down at Prompto’s fingers around his wrist. A brief thought colored his cheeks, making him gently pull himself free once more. “All right, look. If you see me bow? You bow. I’ll handle any tipping or other junk, okay?” 

Prompto nodded, looking to the car that was waiting to pick them up. “So, are ya gonna bow to him?” His voice had lowered upon seeing that the tall, blonde, bespectacled man had seen them and straightened up. 

Noct couldn’t fight the laugh this time. “No. No, I’m not. That’s Ignis. We’re not going to bow to him, okay?” 

“Uhm, sure!” Prompto nodded, putting on a smile for his best friend. “And you’ll tip him, then?” 

“Ti-tip?” Noct really wasn’t trying to laugh right in Prompto’s face, but the ideas were so beyond funny to him. He looked from Ignis to Prompto, and saw the fake smile plastered there. “He’s not a waiter or a normal driver or…” Noct froze. Prompto was entirely more nervous about this than he had thought and it was pretty plain to read on his face. “Look. Ignis is going to take us to the store and we’re going to fill the basket with insane amounts of whatever we want to eat and drink. Then we’re going to my apartment for the week and you don’t have to worry about bowing or tipping or doing some dumb shit, okay? It’ll just be us.” 

“Y-yeah!” Prompto perked up. “I just don’t want to make you look bad or do something that would make them…” he trailed off. “Hey, we can get some healthy snacks, too, right?” 

Noct furrowed his brow at the trail off, but shrugged it off. “Relax,” he cooed slowly. “After all you went through to get them to allow you to come to my apartment, it’d be a real shame if you bowed to the wrong person and they sent you to jail.” 

“J-Jail? They’d do that!?” 

Flashing him a toothy smirk, Noct threw his arm around Prompto’s neck this time and drug him onward. “Nah, they wouldn’t. I’d do it just for the laughs, though.” 

0~*~0

“We could go to the arcade, too,” Noct said in way of trying to start a conversation. 

Prompto was still pressing each and every button he could inside the car, right after a chirpy, “Oooh, what’s this one do?” He’d found the button that closed and opened the window between the driver and passengers and was currently moving it up and down and saying, “Hello, Ignis! Bye, Ignis!” 

“That wouldn’t be wise. You bought ice cream bars and…” Ignis seemed to have trouble getting his next words out. It was impossible to tell if it was because the window between them was being lifted once more or if he was disgusted by the idea. “…frozen pizza.” 

“Yeah, but,” Noct put his phone down to flick at Prompto’s fingers with some animosity, then lowering the window. “You could take it home for us and then come back.” 

“That’s not what was…” Ignis started. 

“Everyone’s gonna be there today. Place’ll be crowded with schools out and all. I’m excited to get to see your place. Don’t make me wait longer, dude.” Prompto pleaded, as he flashed Noct a quick smile then looked back to the panel of buttons. 

“Fine,” Noct muttered, trying to hide his excitement with indifference. He pointed out a series of buttons. “These control the radio.” 

“Nothing above a volume level of fifteen, please,” Ignis quickly requested. 

Noct leaned up in his seat and caught Ignis’ eyes in the rearview mirror, then pressed the button to raise the window between them. He smirked when he saw Ignis roll his eyes in the last moment before the window separated them. He turned to Prompto and nodded. “Maestro?” he flipped his hand in front of his chest, bowing his head. 

“Of course, Your Majesty!” Prompto laughed, then began playing with the buttons. 

Noct’s smile faded fast as he slumped against the car seat. “Don’t call me that,” he said icily. He folded his arms and looked out of the window.

Prompto stopped pressing buttons after finding a satisfactory EDM song. “Huh? Why not? You’re the crown prince!” 

“Like I could forget,” he muttered. 

“So why I can’t I call you that?” Prompto shrugged, his fingers tapping out the beat of the song on his knees. 

“Because you’re the one that doesn’t!” Noct answered sharply. Perhaps it was a bit too sharp, even. He sighed when he heard Prompto’s fingers stop drumming. “I just don’t want it coming from you.” He couldn’t find the strength to look at Prompto, who had gone eerily still and quiet. He could see somewhat of a reflection of Prompto in the window. That was definitely a frown. 

Prompto clicked the music off after a few more tense, silent moments. “But you are my majesty.” The words were softer than chocobo down. 

The words both horrified Noct and thrilled him at the same time. My majesty. Had he imagined that emphasis? His heart had sped up, but he fought to keep his breathing steady. He turned to face his best friend, shaking his head. “You asked if you needed to bow to my damned driver, Prompto. You’ve never asked if you needed to bow to me. I want to keep it that way.” He reached over to turn the music back on and paused before pressing the button. “Please. Don’t make me royalty now.” The music filled the backseat once more. 

“Huh. Never thought about it that way,” Prompto mused aloud, then nodded. “Can’t promise I won’t ever tease you, though.” 

“As long as you can take what you dish,” he warned with a smirk. 

“Pfft. As if you have to ask!” Prompto said, puffing his chest out. “I’m sorry, though,” he added after a slower song had started. “I really had never considered…” 

“Just drop it already,” Noct groaned, rolling his head back to look out of the window again. 

“It really bothers you, huh?” Prompto mused. 

Noct propped his elbow on the door’s armrest and put his palm over his mouth. He made a sound that could’ve been mistaken for acceptance. His body rocked with the gentle punch to the bicep that Prompto gave him. “That’s three,” he moved his mouth long enough to say. 

“Three? Three what?” Prompto yelped. 

“Asskickings that I owe you.” His eyes slid back to his friend, who suddenly looked horrified. 

“Again, I ask, three? I hit you once!”

Noct snorted without saying another word. 

“Nooooct!” he whined, now wiggling in his seat. “Is this about trying to get Ignis to buy us alcohol? I was just joking!” 

“Suffer and know that I have all week to pay you back,” Noct warned. 

Prompto pushed the button to lower the dividing window. He sat up until his head as between the front seats. “Hey, uh, Ignis? Is it too late to drop me off at my place?” 

Noct responded with a hearty belly laugh, one that only Prompto could elicit from him. He wiped tears from his eyes moments later. 

“It’s too late to turn back now, Prompto,” Ignis added. “Our prince believes in only moving forward.” 

“Besides,” Noct added, regaining his composure. He tapped the window. “We’re here.” He grinned at Prompto’s reaction. 

Prompto’s mouth circled into awe as his head dipped low as he stared out of the window, trying to see the top of the building. “Fan-cy!” 

Noct tried to keep his grin friendly, yet he felt a rush of pride in his chest at having impressed his friend. “Wait until you get inside.” 

“I hope you had the foresight to clean the place,” Ignis noted as he pulled the car in front of the building.

“I had the foresight to make sure you had the housekeeping number,” Noct shot back. 

“Mmm. What did I do with that number…” Ignis asked thoughtfully as he climbed out of the car, closing the door behind him before Noct could reply. 

“He’s joking,” Noct told Prompto, who was still in contortionist mode trying to see the top of the building. “… He better be joking.”

“Dude, it’s so tall.” Prompto suddenly spilled unceremoniously onto the sidewalk when the car door swung open in a tangle of arms, legs, and school uniform.

“Prompto! I didn’t know you…” Ignis began his apologies. 

Noct scurried to the other side of the car, emerging from the open door Ignis had opened. “Prompto, are you…” 

Prompto had rolled onto his butt, his head thrown back in laughter. “I’m good! Nothing hurt but my pride!” 

Noct glared at Ignis, who straightened his glasses with a sigh. Noct stood up, then offered Prompto his hand. “Come on.” Though their hands touched for mere seconds as Noct threw his weight into pulling Prompto to his feet, the contact clouded Noct’s mind for a moment. His hand was hard and bony, yet the skin covering it was soft and filled with a warmth he was reluctant to let go of. But Prompto pulled it away to dust off his pants anc then bounce around on the balls of his feet like he usually did. 

Ignis had popped the trunk and began gathering the bags of groceries. Noct almost called to Prompto to stop him when he began to help Ignis, since even Ignis was giving Prompto a confused look. “I’ll get our bags and junk from the back seat,” Noct shrugged. 

“Good afternoon, Your Highness. Good afternoon, Ignis. Prompto,” the Crownsguard at the door said as she opened the door for them. Her head bowed as Noctis passed. 

“Hey, Marie,” he called back to her. 

Once inside, Noctis led them to the elevator. He tried not to notice how Prompto was dancing in circles, trying to take in the lavish lobby, sputtering his excitement, with arms full of brown bags. 

“The lighting in here would make for one hell of a photo. Noct, you gotta let me snap a few of you in here before the week is over.” 

“Yeah, sure. We can do that.” 

Once inside the elevator with the doors closed, Prompto’s body seemed to still. Noct looked at him, a little confused. 

“She knew my name,” he whispered near Noct’s ear. 

Ignis snorted. 

Noct jerked away from the feeling of his friend’s breath on his ear. “Tch, of course she did. You being here’s kind of a big deal.” 

“It is?” Prompto’s blue eyes were staring at himself from the mirror above them. 

“No one but people associated with the Crown have ever come to visit me, much less spend a week.” Noct neglected to mention how long he’d been asking for permission for this, too. 

“Aww! I’m special!” Prompto laughed. 

“You’re something alright.” The elevator dinged and Noct let Ignis out first, who hurried to open the door with the keycard out. 

“Casa de Noctis,” Noct welcomed Prompto in. He knew he’d cherish the stunned look on Prompto’s face for a lifetime. Once they’d dropped the grocery bags and the bookbags on the kitchen island for Ignis to deal with, Noct folded his arms and leaned to the side. “So. Want the grand tour?” 

“Hell yeah!” But his hands were busy pulling things out of the grocery bags. 

Noct watched with a raised eyebrow, wondering how long it would take Prompto to realize that Ignis would do this for them, but neither he nor Ignis were making the move to stop him. He caught Ignis’ eye more than once, and there was a certain satisfied smirk on his face. 

“So yeah, this is the kitchen. The living area.” Noct led Prompto room by room. Though spacious, and with killer views, the apartment didn’t have many rooms. “The water closet, the shower…” 

“Geez, dude, got enough product in here?” Prompto pushed past Noct to look at the small army of bottles on the shelf. “I… I don’t even think I can afford to touch this!” He held up a bottle of a top designer’s hair spritz. 

Noct snorted. “Use as much as you like.” He motioned Prompto onward. “And here’s where I sleep.” He swung open his bedroom door and was instantly impressed himself. He’d left the room in pretty bad shape that morning and there had been a sour smell coming from somewhere he couldn’t identify. Not only had housekeeping cleaned and opened a window, but small candles were filling the room with a deep, masculine scent. Sandalwood? 

“Wow… we’re both not gonna fit in that bed, are we?” Prompto blurted. 

They both stared at each other with wide, horrified eyes and red cheeks. 

“That’s not what I meant!” Prompto began to babble in way of explaining himself. “I was…” 

“Maybe Ignis should take you home after all!” Noct hollered over Prompto’s apologies, trying to seem as offended as he could. His heart, however, was racing at the deceit he was shoveling into the situation. “The couch is yours!” 

“Right!” Prompto said, laughing nervously, and then hurrying back down the hallway to the living area. 

Noct stayed behind a moment to reset his composure. When he joined Prompto in the living area, he found he’d sat down with Ignis at the table. Ignis had a sheet of paper before him. 

“The rules for the week,” Ignis said as he tapped the sheet. 

“Here we go,” Noct muttered as he sat down beside Prompto. 

“Come now, Noctis, it’s not so much rules as the schedule you promised to keep.” 

“So, the hookers and drugs are a go?” Noct asked. 

Ignis straightened his glasses rather pointedly with his middle finger. 

Noct laughed and pulled the paper closer to him to read. “If there’s anything on here before ten in the morning, you can cross it off right now.” He felt a little nervous looking over an itinerary like this with Prompto beside him. It wasn’t his first itinerary, of course, but it was the first time he’d been made to look at one with Prompto nearby. There was nothing before ten listed, as he’d requested, but daily things started at ten. That meant getting up before ten to eat, shower, and ready himself. And Prompto. 

Ignis reached into his briefcase and pulled out two more copies of the itinerary. He offered a surprised Prompto a copy before reading from his own. “As requested, nothing is scheduled before ten o’clock. I’ve even arranged things so that you need to leave the apartment as little as possible. Reservations have been made every other day in the complex’s gym, so that you and Gladiolus may practice here. On the off days, you will sit with me to go over important issues as we do. Of course Prompto will need to excuse us for that.”

“Uhm… That’ll be the perfect time for me to get some awesome shots of the lobby and the building!” Prompto offered when Noct winced.

Noct scratched his face, nodding. “I forgot to tell you about that.” 

“Well, if that’s settled? The major events of the week that need to be paid attention to are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Monday, at precisely ten o’clock,” Ignis started. Noct was aware of the ever-so-slight smirk on Ignis’ face. “Divine Candy will be sending a team of associates to outfit you both for Wednesday’s activities and…” 

“What?” Prompto interrupted, pulling his copy of the paper closer to his face to read what was going on. 

“I forgot to tell you about that, too,” Noct lied easily with a laugh. He hadn’t forgotten anything, and he was a might miffed that Ignis has stolen his thunder. “So you’ve heard of Velveteen Wall?” His nerves raced through his veins as he tried to play it cool. Of course Prompto knew what Velveteen Wall was. Prompto had a subscription to the high-profile interest magazine and not because it occasionally let a nipple show through some of the more couture dresses women wore. Noct had listened with an unappreciative ear as Prompto had went on about lighting, angles, shadows, backdrops, and perfect shots with each new issue. Prompto was in love with the photography of Velveteen Wall. Prompto had even once divulged that it would be a dream job to someday work for them. Noct kept a straight face as he looked up to Prompto. 

Prompto’s jaw went slack. “Dude.” 

“They’ve been after me for an interview for a while now, ever since I moved out of the palace. They want to get some shots of me here and…” 

“What?” Prompto screamed. He grabbed his chest with wide eyes. “Stop shitting me. Stop. Shitting. Me.” 

“Shit you not,” Ignis interrupted. “His Highness agreed to do the interview and shoot only after verifying that you would be spending the week and they’d include you in on the proceedings. They have not given me specifics of what that means yet, but we’re getting you outfitted just in case you end up in front of the camera, too.”

“Wha… ah…!” Prompto began making noises that were meant to be words, before he threw a forearm over his eyes and slumped back in his chair. “I have the best friend in the world,” he moaned. 

Noct tried to stop the satisfied smile, but the battle was lost before it began. The words warmed his very soul. “I try. Are you sure you’ll be all right with dealing with that sort of thing?” He had seen Prompto clam up around girls, teachers, and hell, even wondering if he should bow to Ignis. “If they make you uncomfortable, I’d hate to have set you up to…” 

“No way! I’m stoked! Totally stoked! Ah. I’ll never be able to repay you. Never.” 

You already have, thought Noct. 

“The prince also has a dinner reservation with his father on Friday evening, so Prompto, you’ll be eating here with me.” 

Noct’s nose flared and his head tilted as he thought he saw some smug satisfaction on Ignis’ face. 

“Yeah, no problem. What, with all the stuff I steal from Noct at lunch that you’ve made for him, you should let me cook for you for once!” Prompto sat up, grinning, looking over the itinerary again. 

“We’ll cook together, then,” Ignis agreed. “I will ask that you two call ahead on Sunday and Tuesday if housekeeping is needed, lest the kingdom learn what a teenaged … young man… their prince truly is. If I’m needed, I’ll be at your beck and call, Prince Noctis.” Ignis lowered his head in respect. 

“Yeah, yeah, hide the debauchery, I got it,” Noct half-growled. 

“And one more thing…” Ignis said as he stood, looking at both boys. “Some young ruffian at school slipped this into your bookbag. Or that is the story you will tell, anyhow.” A travel-sized bottle of an amber-shaded liquid was placed on the table. “I’ll be taking your keys until I find the bottle is returned to me empty, Your Highness. I suggest you cut it with the soda you like so much. I’ll be monitoring your social media and deleting anything I find… untoward.” 

Both Noct and Prompto boggled at the sorry excuse of a bottle of whiskey as if Ignis had just laid all the money in the kingdom on the table for them. 

“I’ll be taking my leave, then.” And with a short bow, Ignis had left them alone. 

“Alone at last!” Noct sighed, yanking at his tie and unbuttoning his top collar button. 

Prompto laughed. “You say that like you were dying to be alone with me!” 

Noct leaned far enough over in his chair that his cheek rested against Prompto’s bicep. He waggled his eyes at his best friend. “Maybe I was.” It was a pleasurable pain to be able to tell such a truth as a joke. 

Prompto put his arm around Noct’s neck and put on a huge grin. “Just for that, I’m going to give you a ten kill start on Zombie Wasters. I think I owe you that much for all of this.” 

Noct laughed and shoved away from him. “You think I need ten?” 

“Yeah, dude. You suck. We’ve got to get you better at that game so I’m not so ashamed to play double team with you in the arcade. Come on! Show me where you hid the home theater system you’re always bragging about!” 

“I don’t brag about it…” Noct protested. 

Shirts came untucked. Ties went flying onto the back of whatever chair they landed on. Slippers were left wherever they walked out of them at. Soda, mixed nuts, and video games began their spring recess.


	2. Not My Type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday night. A sleepy prince tends to not-a-wuss Prompto. What a pal.

“You’re just better with guns than I am,” Noctis shrugged in defeat. “And I had way more zombies on my side of the screen.” 

Prompto groaned. “If you’re dividing the deadheads by sides on the screen, then you’re doing it wrong. Gotta shoot to kill. Don’t matter. Just pow-POW!” A finger gun, complete with a steadying hand to wrist, aimed at Noct’s forehead across the table. A large plate of tortilla chips slathered in meat, cheese, sour cream and jalapenos sat between them posing as their supper. “You don’t have time to decide if it’s for me to shoot or you to shoot.” 

“Tch. You sound like Gladio now.” He helped himself to a large bite of the nachos, then chewed thoughtfully. “It’s just a game, though. I guess I don’t relate it to actual fighting.” 

“Ha, whatcha know about actual fighting, Noct?” Prompto laughed. 

“About as much as I do about blowing off zombie heads, if you ask Gladio,” Noct shrugged, taking a drink of his soda to clear his mouth. “Oh Six,” he suddenly choked. “You think… you think my training with Gladio is like stuff you do at the gym, huh?” 

“It’s not?” 

Noct gave a half-shrug, expertly containing the inner glee at this new chance to show off for Prompto. “Gladio is my Shield, but that doesn’t mean I get to slack off and not learn to be every bit as offensive as I need to be.” 

Prompto’s face grew confused, dragging a chip through the mix of toppings. “I guess we’ll see in the morning, huh?” 

“You look like you’re scared now.” 

“Huh? Nah. Just never thought about you needing to defend yourself. Or fight. I thought you had people that did that for you.” His eyes wouldn’t rise from the plate. 

“So, judging by my zombie hunting skills, you’re afraid for me?” Noct teased. 

“Yeah, you’d really be screwed, dude.” The smile returned to Prompto’s face, and he finally ate the chip he was playing with. 

“Thank the Six I’ve got you as a partner, then.” Noct looked away to the whiskey bottle, picking it up and pretending to study it to hide his embarrassment over what he’d just said, and meant. 

“Aw, Noct,” Prompto laughed. “Unless you get better, I’m still not gonna play team with you in the arcade.” 

“Screw you,” Noct laughed in return. 

“We uh… We shouldn’t drink that tonight, though.” 

“No? Why not?” Noct put it back onto the table. 

“Because of what you just said,” Prompto replied. 

Noct blinked. “I wasn’t serious with the screw you.” 

“What? No! What the hell, no!” Prompto laughed. “What was his name? Gladio? I can’t imagine training, whatever the hell you do, would be fun with a hangover.” 

“Ah, damn, you’re right. And we better hide this where he can’t see it. I'm still in a bit of awe Iggy got it for us.” 

“Have you ever been drunk before?” Prompto asked. “I had a sip of champagne once.” 

“I’ve had wine at a few functions, but of course Ignis was careful to make sure I didn’t have more than a few swallows. Never did anything to me,” Noct admitted, seeming a bit bashful. “And knowing him, this isn’t enough to really get our systems going anyway.” 

Prompto nodded, growing quiet as he focused on the food. 

Noct seconded the silence for a while and soon the plate was near empty and they found themselves fighting over who would eat the soggy chips. Noct yawned loudly as he cleared the table. “Man. I didn’t think I’d be this tired this early.”

“We did get up at dawn’s asscrack for school today. Why don’t we just watch a movie then call it a night?” Prompto suggested as he began to run water to wash the dishes. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Noct complained. 

“Nah, Dude, it’s cool. I do this at home anyway. I’m not doing it because you’re the pr… The thing I’m not supposed to call you. I’m doing it because I’m a good house guest. Besides, we didn’t mess up much.” 

The dark haired teen smirked, then hip-checked Prompto over to one side of the sink. “I can at least rinse and dry, then.” 

“Should I take pictures? Document this? I don’t think this is something you usually do, is it?” Prompto laughed. 

“Who else is going to do them?” Noct asked, trying to push the image of Ignis and housekeepers from his mind. 

“Pretty, busty girls in cute short maid outfits that want to call you master?” Prompto nudged. 

“Ugh. Not my type.” He felt disappointment run through him. 

“Then a sexy-cute teenaged blonde best friend will step in for this week!” Prompto gave him a huge grin. 

Noct blushed. Right there in Prompto’s face with no where to hide, he blushed. And when he felt the heat in his cheeks, he stood paralyzed. Too much time had passed for him to come back with “Not my type!” again and he was floundering for a decent shot back. “Uh. Thanks,” he finally managed, staring down into the rinse water. He wanted to splash some of the cold water onto his face to get a grip. 

And Prompto’s bare arm was rubbing against his arm as they worked. 

“So what movie are we gonna watch?” Prompto asked. “Tell me we have boob action.” 

“Yeah, probably!” Noct nodded. “I mean what’s a good horror movie without a sex scene to show us who dies first?” 

“H-horror?” Prompto asked, handing Noct the last dish. 

“Uh, yeah? I mean you’re all into zombie and vampire games. I assumed you’d be into horror flicks.” 

Prompto visibly took a deep breath. “It’s gonna be ‘Mimi’s Mirror,’ isn’t it?” 

Noct grinned. “How’d you know? I’ve been dying to see it.” 

“Because it’s the one I’ve been afraid to see alone, but really wanted to see, too!” Prompto grinned, but still looked worried. 

“You’re not gonna be a wuss about it, are you?” Noct laughed.

“I’ll have you know I’m a manly wuss!” Prompto crossed his arms over his chest, as they had finished the dishes. 

And Prompto wasn’t a liar. They settled onto the couch to watch the film. While Noct wanted to turn all the lights out, Prompto had begged for the kitchen overhead to stay on at least. Once the movie had started, Noct saw he had grossly overestimated just how much Prompto -wasn’t- into horror flicks. He fought strange urges to put an arm around Prompto, to hold his hand, to pat his leg, even to turn the movie off to end the distress his friend seemed to be in. The movie was not that great, but the ghostly girl in the movie kept coming out of any glass surface to attack the characters in the movie. Prompto kept his knees to his chest, whined, shouted at the characters to keep them safe, and even hid his face in a pillow and begged Noct to tell him when it was safe to look. Noct had never seen Prompto act like this. 

It was nearing midnight when the movie ended and Noct was fighting sleep harder than the Kingsglaive fought the Empire. “I’m pooped,” he yawned, climbing to his feet. He ignored the fact that Prompto was still sitting wide-eyed at the television. He fetched blankets and a bed pillow from the linen closet and brought them to the couch. “I’m gonna go to bed. Help yourself to whatever you want, ok? Make yourself at home.” 

“Right,” Prompto muttered, standing to make the couch into a bed as quickly as he could. “Can you leave that kitchen overhead on?” 

“Uh… sure?” Noct asked. “Worried Mimi’s gonna come get you?” 

Prompto swallowed and puffed up. “No. I’m worried she’ll come after you. After all, she targets the assholes.” He offered Noct a proud grin. 

Noct took a playful swing over his head. “I mean, I’m not the one sleeping by a glass table.” He tapped the coffee table, then wiggled his fingers mystically at Prompto and headed to his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, breathing in the nice clean, candle-scented air of his room. He almost didn’t shimmy out of his pants and shirt before blowing out the candles and crawling under his blankets, due to exhaustion. His mind wanted to dissect the day’s events, wanted to remind him that Prompto, -Prompto Argentum- was on his couch just in the next room. Just the thought felt so nice. He smiled, closing his blue eyes so that his mind’s eye could remember Prompto’s blue ones. 

He'd been asleep for a little over fifteen minutes when the knock came at the door. He stirred, confused, lifting his head to stare at the offensive door. 

“Nooooct? Hey, Nooooct? Are you asleep yet?” Prompto pleaded.

“Nngggh!” came the angry response. 

“Noct, can I come in?” The doorknob was already turning. “Please?” Prompto’s head was sticking through the door. 

“Whaaaat?” Noct groaned, rubbing his eyes then shielding his eyes from the light now spilling into his room. 

“C… Can I… Can I sleep on the floor in here?” 

Noct stared at him in confusion. He wasn’t awake enough to make sense of this. “Isn’t the couch much more comfortable than the flipping floor?” 

“Uhm. Yeah. S-sorry. You’re right,” Prompto stammered, closing the door. 

Noct watched as the shadow of his feet beneath the door walked off. He shook his head, the dizziness of sleep stupor trying its best to pull him back into the warmth of oblivion. The idea of Prompto wanting to sleep in his room, however, was enough to pique his curiosity into staying awake. Groaning, he shoved the blankets aside and sat up, rubbing his face, willing his eyes to open. A bright light lit the room, followed by text tone. Noct grabbed his phone to see who’d be texting this late. 

“I’m srs. Scared. Pls let me sleep in there& pls don’t lol @me.”

Noct covered his mouth so that any laughter he had welling up couldn’t be heard by Prompto. “Nah” he texted back, as he stood and found a t-shirt to match his boxer briefs. He grabbed his pillow and blanket and trudged to the living area. “We can both sleep comfortably on these couches,” he mumbled, “but that overhead is going off.” 

“S-sure thing. Yeah, I’ll get it. Want me to make the couch up for you?” Prompto seemed highly strung, his movements shaky. “I’m sorry, man, I… I should’ve told you that horror movies really get to me. I get scared pretty easily.” 

“Just get the light,” Noct waved in slight irritation. “And next time, speak up.” 

“I didn’t want you to think I’m a wuss!” Prompto complained, as he skirted carefully around the glass coffee table and to the kitchen light’s switch. He flipped it off, and the only light in the room flooded in through the open curtains from the city. “Daaaaamn. That’s a great view.” 

Noct snorted as he threw himself onto the couch and cocooned himself in his blanket. “Go to sleep.” He couldn’t close his eyes right away. Prompto was in nothing but red boxers with yellow chocobo feathers all over them as he stood in awe of the view. Prompto ran his fingers through his messy mop and held on for a long moment. It gave Noct a beautiful profile. He grinned at the sight of his friend’s body. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before, but here, in his apartment, this close to him, alone… Noct shifted his legs in annoyance. He saw that Prompto was still wearing the leather bracelet on his wrist. He narrowed his eyes, wondering why he’d taken off all his other jewelry but not that. 

“I… I’ll try,” Prompto said. “And uh… thanks. I owe you another ten kill handicap.” 

“As if I could do anything to save you when Mimi comes out of that table after us anyway,” Noct teased. 

When Prompto whimpered in reply, he felt instant regret. Prompto turned his pillow to the other side of the couch, so that their heads were both in the corner of the sectional. “Maybe I should get a real gun.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a sword,” Noct yawned. 

“Really? Where?” Prompto sounded skeptical. 

Noct laughed. “I’ll show you tomorrow. Go to sleep.” 

“…was that a dick joke?” Prompto asked after a few moments of silence, but Noct was already settled back into dreamland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot say enough good things about the people at ffxvwriters.tumblr.com . Seriously, it's a good place to be. Come hang out. And uhm, thanks for your comments. You're making me feel worth something again.


	3. Ethereal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio doesn't like your rules. Noct gets cocky. Prompto ups his game.

A chill made Noct hug his own body, a hand searching for the blanket he’d had over himself just moments ago. 

“Wake your prissy ass up, Princess. You’re late!” a deep baritone interrupted his dreams. 

“Gladio?” Noct murmured, blinking his eyes open. 

“It ain’t the goddamned tooth fairy. Come on. Get up. It’s time to go.” Noct looked over to the other side of the couch. Prompto was sitting there, dressed in a jogging clothes, and his blankets folded beside him. “He’s ready to go running. Why aren’t you?” 

“What time is it?” Noct managed, trying to sit up. His body didn’t want to respond. He moaned softly.

“Seven on Saturday, our standing running excursion,” Gladio reminded him, throwing the blanket he’d stolen from him at him. “Get up and get dressed, before I haul you out of here in your unders!” He turned to Prompto. “You must be the best friend Sleeping Ugly and Ignis go on about.” 

“Yeah, I’m Prompto Argentum! You must be Gladio!” Prompto hopped to his feet to shake Gladio’s hand. 

Gladio seemed to approve of the handshake, giving him a big smile and a nod. “Ever seen someone throw a prince over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes? Because you’re about to.” 

“Shove off,” Noct muttered, futzing with the blanket to get it back over his goosepimply skin. “I’m on recess. I told Ignis nothing before ten.” 

“Yeah, I heard that joke. And I laughed at him when he told me it, too. Get up. Get dressed. Last warning.” 

Prompto’s smile faded as Gladio crossed his arms. He looked between Gladio and Noct with his mouth agape. “You can… just order him around like that?” 

Gladio raised an eyebrow. “Damned right I can.” 

“Bu-but he’s the…” 

“He’s the hardheaded prince that I’m responsible for keeping safe and keeping in top condition. Yeah, my family’s been doing this a while, Blondie.” 

“Drop it,” Noct muttered, sitting up and rubbing his face in his hands. “Gladio, do we -have- to run today? One Saturday off?” 

“Aw, come on! Nothing like a good run in the morning, before the sun gets too high and the wind is still chilly!” Prompto urged. 

Noct’s head lolled to the side to stare deadpan at Prompto. “Traitor.” He threw his pillow at Prompto as he stood up and made his way toward his room. “Fine. Give me ten minutes.” 

“I will haul you out of that bed if you lay down and go back to sleep,” Gladio warned with a big smile, folding his arms. “I’m gonna get to know Blondie here a little better while you’re gone.” 

0~*~0

“It is -not- leg day!” The irritability was clear on Noct’s face as he stared at Gladio. Their morning run had gone off without too much fuss, once Noct had gotten out of the house. Prompto surprisingly would run ahead of the other two, then circle back once he saw how far ahead he was of the others. He kept jeering the others from ahead, even choosing to run backwards at one point. Noctis had pushed himself harder than he should’ve despite Gladio’s warnings to keep his own pace, and ended up with spasms from old injuries in his leg. Gladio had made them stop for breakfast at a corner café after that, then allowed walking back to the apartment complex. But when they got into the gym and Gladio hadn’t touched his training weapons and announced leg day, Noctis raged. His pride was stinging. He was supposed to show Prompto the things he’d never been able to show at school, the things promised to a future king of the Lucis line. Prompto would surely not be embarrassed to have him as a partner in the arcades anymore. If having to pansy out of a simple morning run wasn’t shameful enough, if Prompto being able to literally run circles around him didn’t sting, the idea that Gladio thought that working on leg strength when his leg was killing him was the last straw. 

Gladio looked around the gym and shook his head. “Ain’t enough room in here for us to spar. Gotta do something productive.” 

“Because any opponent I meet will definitely be sure to reserve an open fighting space to make things easier on me,” he shot back, closing his eyes and rubbing his right thigh. “How is it any different than when you back me into a corner?” He felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked away before he opened his eyes. 

Prompto gave him a thin smile. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too hard. Gladio said I should help challenge you.” 

Noct blinked. “Gladio said… Oh, so this was planned. I see. To hell with your leg day. Endurance day.” Before any complaints were sounded, Noct had risen to his feet and pushed past them both. Hustling out of Gladio’s reach, he turned back to lock eyes with Prompto. He smirked and threw his right arm across his body, closing his hands around his sword’s hilt within his armiger. Blue trails of light shimmered for the mere seconds he remained there as he heard Gladio shout his name. He threw the sword as high as he could above Prompto’s head, pushing down within himself to launch his body into the embrace of a warp. The rush of movement yet not movement always sent a thrill through his body. He supposed someday he’d have to stop grinning at the feeling this feat gave him. Hanging on by his right hand, he clung to the hilt of his sword. He dangled near the ceiling, at least twenty feet above them. “Your turn. Go ahead, I’ll wait.” 

“Ya done showing off?” Gladio huffed. 

“Just getting started.” Noct looked to Prompto, who’s eyes were wide as he danced on his feet. 

He began to stammer as he tried to make sense of what had happened. “You just… You were… But you… Where’d you get a sword?” 

“Told ya I’d show you mine,” he laughed shortly, feeling his pride start to heal over. 

“Aight, stay up there, smart ass. Twenty-five chin ups. Last five one handed. You want endurance, you got it.” Gladio grabbed a jump rope and started his own exercising. “Prompto. Show us what kind of endurance you got, kid.” 

Prompto was still looking in awe at Noctis as he lowered himself to the mat and started slowly doing a set of sit ups. 

Noctis kept his eyes locked on Prompto’s as he wiggled his way around to get both hands on the hilt of his sword. There was something deeply indulgent and satisfying hanging above Prompto, their eyes locked, and no words but movements of lips as they kept count of their exercises. His arms were burning as he approached his count of fifteen. Doing this one handed was going to be a bitch. If he used any bit of magic to help him through, Gladio would double the exercise. Noct wasn’t especially into that sort of punishment and pain. He tried to focus on his breathing to push through, but then Prompto sat up and stopped his sit-ups. 

Prompto reached behind him and pulled his sweatshirt off, then used it to pat his face dry. With a bare, freckled torso, he winked at Noctis and rolled over onto his stomach. Prompto began sets of pushups. 

Noctis’ mouth went dry as he watched. Prompto had positioned himself with his feet facing him. Noct moved slower and slower through his own chin-ups, forgetting to count as he watched Prompto move one hand behind his back. He could see the muscles straining, rolling beneath that fair skin. Confusion rushed through his body as he idly wondered what freckles tasted like. 

“I don’t hear your count, Prince Priss,” Gladio boomed. 

“Thirteen,” he grunted in response, knowing he was closer to thirty. 

“Slow burn day, eh?” Gladio laughed. “Look at your boy down here, giving them shoulders hell! You should hang out with him more often.” 

“Heh!” Prompto chuckled. “Are ya ready for this, then?” Rhythmically, he fell hard onto his hands and thrust his legs apart, as wide as his shoulders. He fell into a rhythm of alternating hands to push up with. This proved to be a harder feat for the blonde teen as he began to grunt with each move instead of offering a count. 

Noct hung still in the air, dangling by both hands, his eyes focused on the apex of Prompto’s legs. Had he never noticed what a cute ass Prompto had before? What did sweaty freckles taste like? He felt his own sweat dripping down the side of his forehead as he tried to get his breath and ignore the sting in his arms. He slowly pulled himself up. “Twelve,” he counted mindlessly. 

“Pay attention, Loverboy!” Gladio thundered. 

Prompto turned and sat up to look at Noct. “Eh?” 

Loverboy? Oh, shit, was he staring hard enough for Gladio to see? The thought struck him with such a panic that he lost his concentration, his hands slipping. He flailed through the air for a moment before quickly pushing into himself, forcing his magic to warp him and allow him time to roll before he hit the ground. He had no time to aim, unsure of where he’d end up. 

“Wha… what the hell just happened?” Prompto asked when he found his lap full of Noctis. 

“Nngh,” Noct muttered, his face entirely too close to the apex he had been staring at before. “Gah!” he scrambled out of Prompto’s lap when he realized where he had rolled. “S-sorry! My hands slipped!” 

Gladio was beside them in no time, offering his hand to Noct. “What the hell happened?” he seconded. 

Noct groaned, his pride hit once more. He took Gladio’s hand and let him pull him to his feet, then tried to walk it off. Of course, he’d landed on his bad leg. His arms were screaming with the release of tension. He limped around in circles for a few moments. “Damn,” he lamented. “I lost concentration and slipped.” He rolled his shoulders as he approached the other two once more. He purposely avoided both of their eyes. Prompto had jumped to his feet and gathered water bottles for them all. 

“Are you hurt?” Gladio asked, sounding concerned. “That wasn’t too bad of a reflex. I’ve seen you do a lot worse. Just not sure how fun it was having a hardbody break your fall.” He tilted his water bottle to indicate Prompto with a chuckle. 

“Hardbody?” Prompto repeated, puffing up a little with pride. “Ya really think so?” 

Noct rolled his eyes, laughing a little. Then again, Prompto had come a long way from grade school. He absolutely deserved the praise for his sheer determination if nothing else. “Hell ya! I mean, I don’t think I’d have fallen if I had your upper body strength.” He tried to sound like he believed that, at least. He landed a light punch to Prompto’s bicep. 

The smile of pure pride on Prompto’s face made Noctis’ mouth curl into a genuine smile. Prompto returned the punch and Noct didn’t move to dodge. 

“Yeah, about that fall. Looks like you landed wrong, too.” Gladio tilted his head, looking at how Noct was standing. “Endurance.” His eyes lifted to the rafters. “Push til you can’t anymore, Noct.” 

“Aw hell…” Noct groaned. “I won’t be able to do shit for the rest of the day!” 

“Do it. You can have Monday off. To the brink.” Gladio nodded, folding his arms. 

Noct staggered a little, then finished off half of his water bottle. “Fine,” he sighed slowly. He looked to Prompto. “So, you’ve seen the Kingsglaive? How my father affords them the power to warp and pull weapons from thin air and all that jazz?” 

Prompto nodded, looking on with intense curiosity. 

“This is me. Learning to use what the kings of Lucis are instilling in me.” He shrugged, not sure how else to explain. “I throw my sword.” He stepped away from them so he could draw it safely. He kept his eyes on Prompto’s as threw his sword once more. “Then I throw myself.” He pushed the energy inside of him forth and warped, leaving the trail of luminous blue behind him. And once he’d reached his sword, he yanked it loose, threw it again, and warped once more. And again. He hung still for a moment, letting his mind clear, letting the energies inside him settle a moment. He ignored his body tensing with the pain of having hung in the air with chin-ups for so long. He ignored the cramping in his leg. He yanked his sword again and grunted through the inertia and the pain. 

Prompto and Gladio looked on from below. Prompto’s mouth was agape, the edges lifted into a grin, his eyes wide with amazement. Gladio moved his hands to his hips, shaking his head. He seemed to be waiting on something. “That’s enough, Prince,” he finally called when he counted the seventh zip across the gym. Noct’s aim was getting lower, his movements slower, and the sword wasn’t seating into walls fully the way it should. 

“Not… at the brink… yet!” Noct insisted, stopping just long enough to push his tongue between his lips at Gladio. “Getting my Monday off!” 

“You’ve got it! Come on!” Gladio barked, though with concern. “This isn’t the time to get cocky!”

“I’ve got your cocky right here,” Noct snipped, then zipped to his next warp point. He hung a moment, a wave of exhaustion rushing through him. He’d never done more than ten in a row. Three more. He looked down to see the look of amazement on Prompto’s face. It sent a rush of adrenaline through him that helped mask just how tired he felt. Though he’d felt this power inside of him since he was much younger, it was more recent than not that he was allowed to tap into it, to use it, to train himself, to build his endurance with it. At least Gladio wasn’t asking him to come at him today and knocking him out of the air. He hated that feeling. It was worse than a sneeze that kept hanging for the next few moments of life, then faded without ever completing itself. Except it ended by him also getting hit by Gladio’s big wooden claymore. 

“That’s so flipping amazing,” Prompto cooed with laughter. “Damn, dude, this is how you should be playing sports!” 

“Noctis,” Gladio growled. “Get down here. -Now.-“ 

Noct held up three fingers. “Almost done!” But Noct couldn’t see what Gladio saw. He couldn’t see the blue trails getting weaker, stuttering in their spacing, or just how loose his sword was getting. He threw his sword as high as he could manage. He really had to force himself into the energy this time, and there was a feeling of having left something important behind. In his state of momentary nonexistence, Noct felt the wave of exhaustion hit like a ton of bricks. Something was wrong with what he’d just done but he was moving too fast to stop and consider it. Gladio was cursing beneath him. Panicking, his hands reached for the sword’s hilt. His fingers barely grazed the pommel. He yelped as the sword was easily knocked loose from its lame grip in the wall. Noct began to fall, a good fifteen feet in the air, with his sword clambering down right above him. All his mind’s eye would show him, rather than give him a good reflexive strategy to survive this, was that he was about to die. And right in front of Prompto, too. The room was growing darker.

The Six had blessed the Amacitia line with much better instincts, however, and Gladio didn’t stay still and accept the fate Noctis was resigning himself to. He dropped his water bottle and barreled across the gym the moment he saw Noct appear short of his goal. “Noct!” he growled with a bit of worry to his tone. In an incredible feat of dexterity that one may not think a man of Gladio’s build would have, he jumped toward Noct midair. Blue light arose from his right arm as a shield appeared and sent the wayward sword clanging in another direction. His left arm cradled the half-conscious prince and his legs prepared for a messy roll of a landing. The shield was dropped as the Shield surrounded Noctis with his heavy arms, holding him close as he tried to take the brunt of the fall. Despite the awkward landing, Gladio quickly released Noctis and began checking him. “Noctis!” 

“Noct!” Prompto yelled, dropping his water bottle and rushing to the side of the others. 

Noct blinked his eyes half open, swimming in confusion and pain, and felt a searing pain within. He turned onto his side and drew his legs up, his arm crossing his stomach as he cried out softly. 

“He’s in stasis,” Gladio explained to overly concerned blonde at his side. “And he deserves it for that -dumbass- display!” Despite his words, his large hands were pressing to Noct’s cheeks, and then fingers pressing to his throat, checking for fevers and pulses. “He’s gonna get his Monday, all right, at the cost of having to take it easy on his Saturday and Sunday.” He sat up on his haunches, then gathered Noct into his arms. “Up ya go.” 

“Don’t… yell…at me…” Noct pushed through, his voice strangled, leaning onto Gladio’s broad chest.

“Is… he’s going to be okay, right?” Prompto asked, speaking up with so much worry in his voice that it made Noct look to him and force a smile. 

“Mmm. He just needs to rest.” 

Though Noct was clenching his stomach, he raised a thumb to his friend. “Sorry…” he muttered, the faintest of smiles on his lips, before his blue eyes rolled shut and the darkness took over his consciousness. 

0~*~0

The chill spring night air brushed lightly over the dark bangs covering Noct’s eyes. He raised his hand in irritation, eyes squinting even though they were shut, as he tried to move his hair from his forehead. His fingers bumped into something else on the way. His eyes shot open at the contact and he found himself looking up at a bewildered Prompto. 

“Oh. Hey, Buddy! You’re awake!” Prompto moved his fingers away from Noct’s forehead, where he, too, had been trying to move the offensive hair away. His voice was scratchy, as if he hadn’t spoken or drank anything in a long while. He cleared his throat. “Gladio and Ignis both said you’d be fine, but I gotta admit. Ya had me worried there.” 

“What happened…” Noct groaned, lowering his hand back to his side slowly. His entire body was a dull ache. He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get used to the dim light of the room. He recognized his bedroom. He was lying on his bed, under the covers. Prompto was sitting beside him on the bed, leaning against the wall, cross legged. Prompto’s camera was on the bed, as well as a handful of magazines and comic books. His stomach tightened suddenly, with the familiar pain of having used too much of his birthright. He remembered the gym and how he’d been trying to show off. How he’d wanted Prompto to be amazed. How he wanted to make Gladio choke on his toenails. “Nevermind. What time is it?” 

“Almost midnight, dude. I didn’t want to leave you alone, though. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Ignis told me to make you drink this when you woke up.” Prompto began searching under the mess of reading material until he found the bottle of ether Ignis had left.

“I uh… I gotta go pee,” Noct groaned, trying to sit up. He grimaced, aware of more muscles in his body than he thought he had. “Ignis was here?” He looked to the bottle of ether and shook his head. “I’ll take that when I get back.” He slowly moved the sheets from himself and found himself in just his jogging pants. He wondered with a fleeting rush of blood who undressed him. He put his feet on the floor, then raised his hands to his dizzy head. He felt a hand on his back.

“Let me help you.” 

Noct would’ve laughed if Prompto didn’t look so worried. “I think I can handle pissing by myself, Prompto.” 

Prompto did break out in a smile and laugh. “I meant getting there!” 

Noct nodded and looked away from him. “I know,” he said quietly. “I should’ve listened to Gladio.” 

“Dude. Do you know how awesome you looked?” Prompto laughed. 

Noct snorted with a small grin. He could still feel Prompto’s hand on his back. Warm. Heavy. His mind idly wondered what Prompto would do if he just turned and curled up in his lap. If he buried his head against that neck. If he could smell the freckles. “I looked about as awesome as an effed up and ruined Saturday for us. I’m… I’m sorry.” Six, he hated having to use that word. 

“Ah, nah, it’s cool! Wait til I show you what I did! Come on. Let’s get you to the toilet and see if I can cook us something to eat. Ya hungry? I’m freaking starving.” Prompto stood up, his hand leaving Noct’s back, to offer it to him to help him stand. “I mean, you might want a shower, too. You reek.” 

Noct coughed, then nodded and took Prompto’s hand. “Help me to the bathroom. I’ll shower while you cook.” He squeezed his fingers as he stood up shakily. 

“Awesome.” Prompto, without being asked, threw his arm around Noct’s waist and ducked his head under his arm, forcing Noct’s arm around his shoulder. “I know a killer way to cook omelets. You don’t like onions or peppers, though, right?” 

Noct let Prompto help him to the bathroom. “Right. And that sounds delicious.” He pulled himself away from Prompto and made sure he was all right to stand on his own. “This isn’t how you wanted to spend your break.” It was another apology. He couldn’t help it. The guilt was as bad as the pain. 

But Prompto was grinning. “Do your business and I’ll have food for us. I promise I’m not mad, bro. You’re okay, then?” 

Noct nodded. Once he was alone, he stepped out of his pants and underwear, slowly and achingly, then turned to the shower. The fact that the bathmat was vaguely wet with visible footprints and there was a towel hanging to dry were clues that Prompto had already showered. The idea of Prompto in his shower made it that much harder for Noct to empty his bladder. He stood before the toilet for much longer than he wanted to trying to relax. 

His muscles and body were merely very, very sore. And Six, the exhaustion? Ever since he’d started training with his power, he was forever tired. Forever sleepy. He was learning to perfect the art of catnapping just to regain the energy it took from him. He flushed the toilet and clambered into the shower, sitting on the built-in enclave in the rear. He put his back to the cold marble and let the heated water rush over his sore body. He closed his eyes and gave in to the guilt he felt inside. 

Trying to impress Prompto had backfired in the worst way. Gladio had been right; this would keep him down for at least another day if not longer. Wasting the precious time he’d been able to secure with his best friend. And what was Prompto going to do while he slept? With the designers coming, and then the spread for the magazine, along with Ignis and Gladio? The corners of his mouth tugged downward heavily. His vision blurred. His hand balled into frustrated fists and he let out a sob. Somehow, he felt robbed with no one to blame but himself. 

“Why. Why am I so stupid? Why was I showing off? Why did I care to impress him so much?” his mind raged at him. He had no answers. Freckles and warm hands plagued his mind. His confusion was building heavily within, readying to erupt like a volcano. He didn’t know how much more he could take. More importantly, he didn’t know what he should even do. 

0~*~0

“So, you gonna be okay now?” Prompto asked. He was clearing the table and putting the dishes in the sink. “And it’s no problem to make another for you if you’re still hungry.” 

Noct had never been so grateful for a plate of pancaked eggs in his life. Prompto hadn’t lied; they were killer omelets. He wanted to ask for another one, but his guilt was too great. “I’m good,” he lied smoothly. “But it uh… I pushed myself too hard. I’m pretty damned sore and just drained right now. I’ll probably sleep a lot. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go home.” 

“Pfft, to hell with that!” Prompto laughed. “You got all the cool shit here. And you’re here, too. This is where I want to be.” He shrugged. “I don’t think you know how… Nevermind. Do you want me to go home?” 

Noct caught Prompto’s eyes and shook his head slowly. “Please don’t?” He winced at how weak his voice sounded. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Stay.” 

“Sure thing!” Prompto looked away after flashing a smile to the dishes, which quickly made him lose his smile. “We’ll get these tomorrow. Let’s get you back to bed. I’ve got something to show you.” 

Relief flooded through Noct and he wasn’t sure why there was a sudden lump in his throat. “So sleepy though,” he managed. “But I’d like to see.” He stood up shakily and didn’t fight Prompto when he wrapped his arm around his waist to help him. 

Once in the bedroom, Noct flopped back onto the bed. Prompto crawled over him back to the small nest of blanket he’d created for himself earlier. He began to gather the comics and magazines, making neat stacks of them and lowering them to the floor. “I just sort of helped myself to your collection of stuff to read. I wasn’t bored, but I was worried. Ignis and Gladio seemed worried, too, but they seemed okay enough with you to leave you in my care. A bit scary, really. In charge of seeing over the Crown… Er. Sorry. I had a lot of nervous energy at first, so I didn’t know what else to do. You were just sleeping and the guys assured me that’s all you’d do. I was still worried.” Prompto picked up his camera and turned it on. “So I… did what I always do.” 

Noct propped himself up on his elbows to get a better look. Prompto had spent his time taking pictures of Noct’s bedroom. Prompto was narrating each one, explaining the filter, the composition, talking about lighting, and overexplaining in excited detail why each shot was so unique and interesting. Either Noct was truly tired, or Prompto was making sense. He usually tuned this sort of talk out but everything seemed to make so much more sense suddenly. The pictures were good. The way he’d used the sun setting, then added candlelight to take pictures of the same things over and over was downright genius from an art perspective. “Wow. These are really good.” 

Then Prompto stopped flipping through the pictures, with four left unseen. “Heh, thanks. And uhm… Don’t be mad about these last ones, okay? I’ll delete them if you tell me to.” A grimace crossed his face. 

“What did you do?” Noct asked sleepily, but with concerned interest. 

Prompto wrinkled his nose, deepening the grimace.

“Push the damned button already!” Noct laughed. “Better not be you spying on the neighbors or something.” 

Prompto closed his eyes, clicking the next button on the camera. 

Noct stopped laughing. He blinked and sat up even further in the bed, grabbing the camera from Prompto’s hands. His face went slack as he stared at the image. He glanced up at Prompto, who looked like he was in fear of being punched. “Damn…” Noct whispered in reply. He’d never known how peaceful he looked sleeping. 

“I… I had to take the shots. I couldn’t… not,” Prompto tried to explain, speaking softly. He reached up and fisted his own hair, a nervous tic Noct had learned Prompto had when he was on edge or worried. “It was downright ethereal.” 

“Yeah, no, it’s uh… It’s fine,” Noct murmured. He flipped through the next three photos and found it was the same shot, but Prompto had played with settings slightly. 

It was such a simple picture, yet even Noct couldn’t deny it’s beauty, even if it was of himself. Shot from right beside him, as if Prompto had been laying on his pillow with him. Raven hair feathered across his face, his dark lashes long and curled, his full lips parted just enough to see a speck of white teeth within. A hint of a shoulder led up to a strong, defined neck. Prompto had been right, too, as his skin was glowing somehow. The candles lit on the desk were slightly out of focus, causing small halos of light behind him. 

“You should sell these to Velveteen Wall.” Noct looked up at Prompto finally, his face slack with awe. “Seriously.” 

“Think they’re that good?” Prompto smiled, taking the camera back to look at the picture once more. “Heh. But no. This one’s mine.” He nodded once and sighed, turning off the camera. “Just mine.” 

Noct slid back down onto the bed. His face finally gave way to a tired smile. “Yours, huh?” Something felt so good about that. 

“Yep!” Prompto chirped proudly. He started to climb over Noct to leave. A hand caught his thigh. 

“Hey uhm,” Noct closed his eyes, the smile fading again. “Can you just, stay here?” 

“Yeah, Dude. Sure. Are you feeling okay?” Prompto plopped back down into the cozy corner he’d made. 

Noct blinked his eyes back open, a bit taken aback at how easily Prompto had agreed to stay. He nodded. “Just exhausted.” 

“Then sleep. I’ll be here. And we can take it easy tomorrow. I’ll handle Ignis if he shows up before ten,” Prompto laughed, shuffling a bit to pull his phone from his pocket. “Will this bother you?” 

Noct shook his head, pulling the covers up to his neck. He heard the music of King’s Knight start up, and he opened his mouth to argue, but all that escaped was a gentle sigh. The bliss of the absence of aching through slumber encompassed him much more quickly than he thought it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hugs to each and every one of you that continue to support me in this. I promise Noct will find out about the freckles in the next chapter.


	4. Oh.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The freckles taunt even more. Noct can't help it. There's a couple of baby doves that need love. Where are the fireworks?

Frigid. Noct grunted softly in his slow ascent into the waking world. He tugged at the blanket, trying to pull it higher on his bare torso as the early morning’s breeze eased in through the cracked window. The covers, however, refused to give after a certain point. He grunted and tried again, his sore body protesting at the effort he was putting forth. Having no luck, he blinked his eyes open to see what the hell was keeping the covers glued in place. He froze in a completely different manner when he found the culprit. 

Prompto. 

Prompto Argentum.

Shirtless, sleeping, softly snoring Prompto Argentum. 

Prompto was on his side, as far as he could against the wall, using one arm as a pillow under his head. He looked awkward and uncomfortable in that position yet seemed to be sleeping so deeply and peacefully. Every few moments, he’d snort in the middle of his snoring. 

Noct lay on his back, head turned toward his dear friend, swimming in the bittersweet confusion that Prompto filled him with. He wasn’t sure if he was shivering from cold or shivering for some other reason he couldn’t explain. His eyes were fixated on Prompto’s face and the way his blond hair had not been styled. Without the hair product in it, it looked so damned soft. It had been pushed back off his face and was feathering over his arm, flickering with the breeze. Prompto’s nose would twitch slightly each time he snorted in his sleep. Noct kept his eyes on Prompto’s head because there was a deep feeling that looking any lower was taboo. So, he stared at the freckles sprayed over his nose, his cheeks. How had he never noticed before that there was a pattern on his left cheek that made a perfect rectangle? And there was a trail of freckles that led down the side of his cheek, to his ear, and down his throat. Noct’s pulse quickened, ignoring the feeling of seeing something he wasn’t supposed to, and blue eyes betrayed him and flickered downward. He bit his lips closed as he tried to quiet his own breathing. Prompto’s chest, laid bare like this, was broad. It was pale and the fiery stars on his skin shone in the morning’s sunlight. Noct’s eyes took in each one he could see and wondered idly if the freckles tasted cold. Six, but his best friend was beautiful. 

He wondered if this was what Prompto had felt like and decided to break out his camera for the night before. He wondered if that was why Prompto said the picture was his and his alone. If only. 

Another breeze flew through the window, this time making a soft howl with its force. Noct shuddered as goosebumps covered his body. He hitched a sharp breath as he watched goosebumps raise on Prompto’s body, too, along with his nipples drawing taunt. They drew up quickly into red little studs, surrounded by a prickled pink oval. Noct licked his lips, unable to slow his heartbeat or breathing now, because his fingers were shaking and wanting to touch Prompto. Gods, no, he didn’t just want to touch Prompto. He wanted to… to what? What? He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make sense of what his mind was suggesting he do, and what was the right or wrong thing to do to a sleeping best friend. He surprised himself with a whimper out of pure confusion. His eyes flew back to Prompto’s face. Had he disturbed him with the sound? 

Prompto was lying as still as he had been since Noct woke. 

And then Noct found his body in motion. It was turning toward Prompto, slowly and quietly. His chest was filled with panic at his own actions. He was carefully inching closer to him, heart slamming so hard in his chest it hurt his ears. He was screaming at himself to stop and screaming that it’d feel so nice to just curl up against Prompto. It wasn’t long before his ear was pressed to Prompto’s chest. He could feel the hardened nipple against it. He could feel the gentle beat of Prompto’s heart against his cheek. And despite the wind and the chilled air in the room, Prompto was warm. It was too late to turn back. Noct scooted his body against Prompto’s, then draped an arm loosely high on his waist. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. Tried to just bask in Prompto’s warmth. He found it easy to match his breathing to the thumping against his cheek. Breathe in for four beats, breathe out for four beats. Noct smiled. Prompto smelled like the most expensive body wash he owned. Noct found himself basking in the strange rush flowing through his body from this contact. His nervousness died down and he found himself forgetting how sore his body was as he was able to just relax. His mind never considered what to say or do if Prompto woke up. 

But Prompto didn’t wake up. At least, not at first. Noct had enough time to fall back into a light sleep before Prompto awoke. 

“Uh…Noct?” 

The words slipped into his dreams of sleeping in the grass under a warming sun. He didn’t answer.

“Noct,” Prompto hissed. “Buddy. Wake up.” 

Noct didn’t open his eyes though he was slowly coming back awake. He remembered where he was quickly. He let a faint smile pull at his lips. It was too late now to try to hide what he’d done. Prompto was awake. He could pretend he was shocked and say he’d snuggled up next to him in his sleep, but there was an impish feeling inside that wanted to continue listening to Prompto’s heart. One that wanted to keep against his warmth. One that felt like all his confusion was made better by what he’d done, and he wanted to see how Prompto handled it. 

“Shit,” Prompto sighed. “Come on, Noct. Dude, wake up.” 

Noct could feel his hair being moved by Prompto’s words. He tightened his arm about Prompto’s waist. If Prompto didn’t like it, he could just shove him away, right?

“Noctis. Lucis. Caelum,” Prompto tried. His voice was still quiet volume wise, as if he wasn’t sure that he really should wake his friend. “Nooooooooctiii-UMPH!” His words were cut off by fingers suddenly covering his mouth. 

“So noisy,” Noct complained. 

Prompto coughed and tensed. 

Noct felt Prompto’s heart rate double. Noct felt a certain satisfaction rush through him. Prompto’s lips were warm and dry. He kept up the silence and pulled his fingers away from Prompto’s mouth. He rested them on Prompto’s shoulder and gently nudged himself closer to Prompto. As the silence stretched on, however, Noct’s nerves began to get the better of him. The satisfaction, the feeling of being right began to fade when Prompto said and did nothing. Noct swallowed hard and felt that burning panic rising. The idea of having to move himself away from his chest, away from that heartbeat, away from the man he… His eyes squeezed shut and he couldn’t fight it as his arm wrapped even more tightly around Prompto. He buried his face deeper. 

“Wh… what… what’re you d-doing, Noct?” Prompto finally managed, stuttered and scared. “What…?” 

“I don’t know but fuck, Prompto, please. Please don’t push me away. Please let me stay here. Please don’t hate me for this. Please. Please. Just here. Against you. With you. This close. Let me stay,” his mind raged at Prompto. “Trying to sleep,” he answered aloud. 

“B-but…” Prompto started. 

Noct held onto him fiercely. “You can leave if…” he started to say, but he was interrupted by a set of strong arms encircling him, crushing him closer. He let out a relieved moan. 

“Sleep then, I guess.” He didn’t sound mad or put out. Prompto eased his embrace, then kicked at the blankets he was lying on top of. He reached down and pulled them over their bodies after closing the window. 

Noct curled his fingers against Prompto’s shoulder and nodded into his chest. He closed his eyes, but sleep didn’t come back for him. He could feel Prompto’s breath in his hair again. He was intensely aware of how hot and strong Prompto’s hand felt on his back. Prompto’s heart sped up and slowed down a few times and Noct wished he could ask why, but knew he had to keep pretending to sleep. If he woke up, the excuse to be this close to Prompto would be invalidated. He let his breathing fall deep and even. Being a king of catnaps, it wasn’t hard to fake the action. 

When he could no longer stand the pain in his bladder, though, his enchanted morning had to come to an end. Shifting his shoulders first, Noct sighed and yawned as he sat up, trying to do so in a way that hid his reluctance. He raised his arms above his head and stretched high, hearing bones shift and joints pop. He looked dared to turn and look down at Prompto. His eyes shone deep amethyst in the mornings. Noct huffed and shook his head. “Morning,” he mumbled. 

“Morning?” Prompto asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just… morning?” 

Noct shook his head. “Uh. Good… morning?” he tried. There was a need within him to try to make the situation anything but awkward. 

“Sure. Good morning, Noct,” Prompto huffed. 

Noct threw the covers aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “What… what else do you want me to say, Prompto?” He looked down at his hairy toes. 

“Where are you going?” 

“Bathroom,” he sighed. 

“Go. But uh… you’re going to say more to me when you get back.” 

Noct nodded but didn’t move. He heard Prompto shift in the bed behind him, but he didn’t turn to look. He grunted in surprise when the foot kicked him in the ass and pushed him from the bed. He stumbled to his feet and whirled to yell at Prompto. 

Prompto was smirking and lifted a middle finger to him. 

Noct huffed, grinning back. Goddamn, but Prompto looked so appealing lying on his bed like that, all disheveled, in just his chocobo-print pajama pants. “Stay… right there.” 

Prompto nodded, trying to hide a yawn behind his hand. “Go.” 

So Noct did and Prompto took his turn upon Noct’s return. Noct found that Prompto had made his bed in his absence. So much for getting a little more sleep. He checked his phone and saw it was a little after eight. Way too early to be awake. He noticed he had messages from Ignis, but he didn’t care to look at them yet. He didn’t want to leave Ignis on read and let him know he was awake. He sat down on his bed and put his back against the wall, crossing his legs. 

Prompto came back into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “So.” 

Noct raised an eyebrow. “So.” 

Prompto didn’t look amused. He didn’t look mad, though. “Uhm, how… how’re you feeling?” 

Noct hated this awkwardness. Wonders about if getting to lay so close to Prompto had been worth it plagued his mind. A small part of him was damning him for it, but the greater voice was screaming at him to do it again. He rolled his shoulders. “Leg’s always giving me hell, but just really tired still. Sore.” 

Prompto nodded. “Want some more omelets?” 

“Yeah, sure, but…” Noct stopped himself when Prompto turned to look into his eyes. He swallowed hard. Why did words always fail him in moments like this? He shrugged at Prompto helplessly. 

“Just… was it on purpose?” 

Noct felt his head nodding before he could think to lie about it. 

“Why?” 

Noct looked away and toyed with a string hanging from his socks. 

“Okaaaay?” Prompto seemed determined.

Noct huffed. “Told you. Was cold.” 

He groaned impatiently, wordlessly calling him a liar. “So, what now, Noct? We just go on like this didn’t happen, like that wasn’t the most magical way in the world to wake up?” Prompto looked away and forced his fingers into his hair, his fingers clenching a handful. 

Noct bit his lip, his world suddenly becoming the string on the sock, feeling his entire body stiffen. He must’ve misunderstood Prompto’s words. That wasn’t what he meant. He didn’t just say he liked waking up like that. He didn’t just say it was the best way ever. “It was?” he croaked softly. His eyes jittered slowly back over to Prompto. 

“Yeah, man. It was,” Prompto sighed. 

Noct reached out, his body once more moving without being bidden to. His mind screamed at him to stop as he grabbed Prompto’s forearm, pulling on it gently. “Come here,” he whispered. 

Prompto turned on the bed with the most longing look Noct had ever seen on him and crawled over without being told twice. He sat in Noct’s lap, facing him, wrapping his legs around his waist. He buried his head quickly into the nape of Noct’s neck. 

Noct encircled Prompto with his arms tightly at first, then relaxed. He laid his cheek on Prompto’s soft hair, nuzzling gently. “Prompto,” he sighed heavily, with relief. 

“You can’t keep doing this to me, buddy,” Prompto finally whispered back. 

“I know,” Noct replied quickly. “I’m…” But the rest of his words wouldn’t come out, simply because there were no words. 

“You’re what?” Prompto prompted, sitting up slowly and looking Noct directly in the eyes. “Confused?” 

“No,” Noct said with some certainty. He was very certain this was where he wanted to be. 

“Then what is this? Why did I wake up with you in my arms? You gotta tell me, Man, I’m… I’m…” Prompto trailed off, shaking his head. 

Noct didn’t like that he was making Prompto frown, that he was making Prompto uncomfortable. He couldn’t take another man having to give up his life for him. “Tell me to go to hell or something.” He linked the fingers of both his hands behind Prompto, his wrists resting low on his bare back. 

“What sort of Astrals-be-damned request is that? Look, I have no problem with this. I swear I don’t, but you know, I just need to know what this is. I know what it is to me, but I need to know what it is to you.” Prompto’s head was bobbing as he spoke, as if he had to dance his words from his head to his mouth, then ease them out. 

“I’m not naming it,” Noct said quickly. “Naming it makes it worse.” He licked his lips and looked down, nerves trilling through his skin. But his eyes noticed that there was a pool of freckles around Prompto’s navel. He wanted to swim there. 

“Naming it makes it…” Prompto sighed, slapping his own face. “Nooooct. Tell me now, okay? Are we buddies, or are we boyfriends, or are we just going to go on and pretend this never happened?” 

“No!” Noct groaned with some annoyance. “Don’t…” He shook his head and laughed. “If… If we name this, then… then people can stop it. People can take it away from us. They can talk duty and crowns and it all gets too complicated and…” His throat was closing up on him. He choked out a strangled sound. 

“And?” Prompto asked gently. 

Noct’s eyes fluttered shut as he felt Prompto’s fingers at his temple, brushing his hair aside, so that he could stroke the side of his face properly. “And I’ll be your majesty and lose this. Lose…you.” 

“Ah, Noct,” Prompto breathed, putting his forehead to Noct’s. “So that’s why you….” 

Noct closed his eyes, sighing unsteadily. 

“Don’t… don’t you have a girlfriend, though?” Prompto asked after a few moments of thinking. 

Noct’s eyes flew open, looking at Prompto in aghast. “What?!” 

“Lady Lunafreya.” 

Despite the deepness of their conversation, Noct began to laugh. “She’s… She’s a dear friend. We’ve been friends almost as long as you and I have. We have inside jokes about how people seem to think that, though. I’ll have to let her know even you thought so.” 

“She cares about you.” 

“And I care about her, too. I care about a lot of people in my life. Doesn’t mean I want to … you know.” Noct shook his head. “No. Just… Just you.” He looked back up at Prompto.

Prompto had frozen still, staring at Noct. His indigo eyes had grown watery. “Just… me?” He repeated the words as if they were his new lifeline. 

Noct nodded. “Look, you know I suck at words. You know I…” 

“Unless you’re shittalking someone, yeah. You do.” 

“I’m happy right now,” he said softly. 

Prompto crushed himself against Noct once more, hugging him tightly and burying his face. “I’m good with that.” 

“Good.” Noct held him closely and sighed, letting his neck go slack and his head loll back. So much more inside of him was raging to be said, to be acted on. He closed his eyes and tried to still the tempest within him. He wanted to tell Prompto how he wanted to taste his freckles. How they teased him, and begged for him to lick them, and made him think dirty, dirty things sometimes. He wanted to. He wanted to so badly. He… “Your freckles,” he whispered to the ceiling. 

“Huh?” Prompto asked. 

“Uh!” Noct grimaced. “Didn’t mean … to say that.” 

“Well dude, you did, and now you gotta. Everyone finds my freckles charming. Don’t tell me you don’t like them?” Prompto was sitting back up.

Noct kept the grimace on his face just fight a blush. “No.” 

“You don’t like them? Really, Noct?” 

Gods, he sounded like his feelings were hurt. “No!” Noct tried again. He groaned with discomfort, hating the way words hated him. “Yes. I mean… Ugh.” 

“Hey!” Prompto laughed gently. “Calm down there. It’s just me. Remember?” 

“Just you is something of overwhelming magnitude,” Noct huffed. He opened his eyes and stared right into Prompto’s. “I want to taste your freckles.” His cheeks were on fire and he was sure Prompto could hear his heart. 

“Dude,” he whispered, somewhat in awe. “Then uh… your ear.” 

Noct lowered his eyebrows in confusion. 

It seemed to be Prompto’s turn to stumble over words. “It uh. Your ears. They… They stick out from the black nest of your hair. Like uh… little baby doves that need to be… you know. Loved or something.” Prompto’s fingers had risen to Noct’s right ear, pulling gently at the lobe. 

“Haha,” Noct laughed, feeling the words strike his heart and warm his soul. “So… it’s not just me.” 

“Nah, man. Not just you at all.” 

Noct hugged him to him once more. 

“And you’re right. We don’t need to name it. We know now. And that’s what matters, huh?” Prompto asked. 

Noct nodded. “Boyfriends sounds ridiculous anyway.” 

“Yeah!” Prompto laughed, sitting back up once more. 

Noct traced his hands down Prompto’s shoulders, down his arms, until he found his hands. He laced his fingers with his and stared at them. 

They stayed quiet for several moments before Prompto finally asked, “So, uh, do you want to, like, kiss?” 

“Hell yeah,” Noct said quickly, his eyes shooting back up to Prompto’s. 

Prompto nodded. “Okay.” 

They stared at each other, grinning. They both kept licking their lips at different intervals. One would move their head forward and the other would close their eyes and then the first would back off. Nervous chuckles filled the air. 

“Uh,” Noct finally murmured. “Maybe… maybe we’re not ready for that yet?” He smiled at Prompto. 

“Huh-uh. We are. Just… Okay. On the count of three. One. Two. Three!” 

Eyes closed, heads moved forward, and dry lips pressed against each other and held still. They held together chastely for longer than they meant to before pulling away and looking at each other. They both seemed rather confused. 

Noct was specifically confused. Wasn’t there supposed to be fireworks? Eruptions of feeling? Why in the hell did people kiss if this was all it was? He stared in confusion at Prompto and got the feeling he was just as confused. Noct licked his lips and lifted his hand to the side of Prompto’s face, deciding to try it once more, but this time more like what he’d seen on television and in the movies. With a slightly opened mouth, he closed his lips around Prompto’s bottom lip. 

Oh. OH. … Oooooh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. Chance of a bonus M scene, but it'd come way later if I do it. I can't thank you enough for reading my mess. I love these boys so much.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Chris, Elsa, Em, and the fabulous friends I've made at ffxvwriters.tumblr.com .


End file.
